PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Ever since the 1995 movie, Se7en, I have found the idea of the seven deadly sins intriguing. Every interpretation of them is different, although always dark and depressing. All of my favorite things! But all kidding aside, there’s been a buzzing in the underground about an upcoming anthology called 7 Sins, which features some of the biggest and brightest filmmakers emerging today. When P.O.E.: Project of Evil’s Domiziano Cristopharo (read our interview with him here), the extreme horror maestro himself, came to me and asked if I wanted to review this anthology, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor before shouting, “OMG, yes!” I felt honored and excited… but also super nervous. These collaborating filmmakers are some of the hottest and most sought after in independent cinema, and I had to do them justice. But the work speaks for itself, and my only worry was to sound like a rambling super fan…. You know, kind of like what I’m doing now.
7 Sins is divided into seven segments, each one unique in its voice, acting, story, and style. There is very little dialogue in any of them, with each account relying almost solely on body language, facial expressions and an electric soundtrack, along with the surroundings and how humans interact with each other. As always with anthologies, some stories are stronger than others, but as a whole, 7 Sins is solid in its alliance, where one segment’s strong point will carry on to the next one’s soft spot. It flows in its diversity. Each story is individual, yet part of whole. While the seven deadly sins are cemented in Catholic Theology and are always the same, the interpretation by any single person is always different, and this assemblage is no exception. It screams creativity, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from these filmmakers.
We begin with “Anger,” written and directed by Dario Almerighi. It tells the story of a man who is so filled with anger, it leads to a lifetime of being haunted. Next is “Envy,” written by Emily Priest and directed by Sam Mason Bell. Envy is what fuels the young prostitute when she becomes too comfortable with her latest customer. Third is “Sloth,” written and directed by Francesco Foletto and Elisa Carrera Fumagalli, and it reminds us how idle hands and ignoring responsibility can lead to destructive behaviors. “Pride,” written and directed by The Obliteration of the Chickens’ Michael J. Epstein, tells of the Devil’s temptation and ultimate ruination.
“Lust,” written by Andrea Cavaletto and directed by Domiziano Cristopharo, is a terrifying tale of how far a woman will go for the sensation of love. “Gluttony,” written by Melvin Sutherland and directed by Jason Impey, is a different and tantalizing tale of cannibalism. Rounding out the collection is “Greed,” written by Pasquale Scalpellino and directed by Sarah (Poison) Rouge (read our interview with her here). “Greed” is a tale of what catapults a young hustler from turning tricks to voodoo recipient shitting money. Yes, literally shitting money.
7 Sins is ripe with originality. These are not your mainstream interpretations. These have the fingerprints and trademarks of each distinctive artist ingrained in it, and I am all in. While there is currently no release date, I cannot wait until this reaches the masses. It is bound to spark conversation, and help put these talented, and up-and-coming auteurs on the map.
